Date: 2025-03-27 17:07:03
City rebranding project aims to improve service delivery and organisational culture
ETHEKWINI NEWSFLASH
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
27 MARCH 2025
CITY REBRANDING PROJECT AIMS TO IMPROVE SERVICE DELIVERY AND ORGANISATIONAL CULTURE
EThekwini Municipality is undergoing a brand transformation journey and calls on residents to be part of this process.
Council approved the project to review the Municipality brand on 28 June 2017.
The current Municipal brand, commonly referred to as "the Dome" due to its design, was introduced around the year 2000 as part of the consolidation of all Durban local councils into the eThekwini Metro.
Over time, several sub-brands were developed internally, which bore little to no visual connection to the main brand.
Externally, residents do not relate to the current logo.
Therefore, the goal of the rebranding project is to create a new logo that reflects the City's evolving identity, future aspirations and a brand that resonates with all eThekwini residents and stakeholders.
This new logo will symbolise unity, a commitment to enhanced service delivery, and a responsive Municipal administration.
The rebranding project should not be viewed in isolation, rather it is an integral part of the City’s broader marketing strategy aimed at strengthening the City's identity and promoting its marketability.
The associated cost for the rebranding project amounts to R2.8 million.
The costs include public participation campaign on community and mainstream media calling for proposals, roadshows to internal departments, campaign concept development, competition prizes, professional design of the new logo, and the production of a branding manual.
Reports that millions of rands will be spent on the City’s logo and Municipal branding are not true.
The rebranding will not immediately require a complete overhaul of Municipal uniforms, vehicle branding, signage, stationery and assets but this will be done in a phased-out approach over a five-year period.
A progress report on the implementation of the project was tabled at the Governance and Human Resources Committee special meeting held on 20 March.
The report, along with its implementation plan, will be submitted to the City’s Executive Committee for their review before the project is launched.
It is important to emphasise that the City already allocates an existing budget to maintain and communicate the current corporate identity.
The budget for the rebranding is not sourced from service delivery units but forms part of the Communications Unit budget, which is mandated to communicate service delivery programmes, promote and market the City.
Funding for service delivery projects will not be utilised for communication projects such as the rebranding, similarly funds allocated to the Communications Unit must be utilised for projects that are in aligned with communication related matters.
Furthermore, the City acknowledges the service delivery needs of communities and has therefore allocated R10 billion to rebuild water, electricity and solid waste management infrastructure.
This allocation was communicated last week and comes as the Minister of Finance Enoch Godongwana announced a R3.33 billion grant allocation to eThekwini for trading services reforms over the next three years.
“The Municipality is serious about service delivery and has allocated funding to address the needs of communities. Therefore, the rebranding project is not about the logo, but this process also seeks to tackle service delivery challenges through inculcating a service delivery ethos among employees. This includes improving the organisational culture and instilling “Batho Pele” principles as the cornerstone of improving service delivery,” said Head of Communications Unit Mandla Nsele.
Nsele said there will be a rigorous public consultation process.
An internal communication and brand steering committee has been established to ensure that City staff are also part of the journey and guide the process.
The rebranding process is in line with the organisation’s service delivery ethos to be instilled in the City workforce.
All employees are encouraged to take part in the rebranding process.
EThekwini Municipality’s artistic and creative communities are invited to take part in the process through submitting designs they think will best represent a united, inspirational, diverse, multicultural, and dynamic City.
ENDS
Issued by eThekwini Municipality’s Communications Unit.
Disability Right Awareness Month
